The present invention relates to prolamine blends. More specifically, the present invention relates to edible and biodegradable prolamine compositions.
For certain applications, prolamines have been used in consumer products. For example, zein is a water-insoluble prolamine (protein) obtained from corn. Zein is edible and readily biodegradable. Accordingly, zein is a very attractive material for use in food applications.
Additionally, zein has been used in industrial applications. In this regard, zein has been used in creating materials such as packaging films, coatings, and adhesives. However, zein is a very brittle plastic material. Typically, when sufficiently heated, zein will thermally decompose rather than melt. This property is due to strong hydrogen bonding. Moreover, usually zein is used in the form of either a fine powder or an alcohol/water solution. This creates processing difficulties that limit the applications and uses of zein.
In food products, due to its desirable characteristics, there have been attempts at using zein in products such as chewing gum formulations. In this regard, zein has nutritional and biodegradability properties that are desirable in such products. Further, in an application such as chewing gum, the fact that zein becomes brittle after it loses moisture is an advantageous property. This feature eases the removal of zein-containing gum cuds from substrates.
A number of patents discuss the use of zein in chewing gum. See, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,154,482; 2,489,147; 5,482,722; 5,139,794; 3,116,206; 5,112,625; 4,863,745; 4,931,295; 5,367,055; 5,482,722; 4,753,790; 4,474,749; 5,409,715; 5,433,960; 5,882,702; and non-U.S. patents and published applications: JP95-163300; German Patent DE3043914A1; PCT WO90/12512; PCT WO90/06061; and PCT WO89/09594. Other patents discussing zein include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,325,351; 5,367,055; 5,342,923; 5,324,351; and 6,020,008. See also: Shukla, “Trends in Zein Research and Utilization,” Cereal Foods World, 37(2), 225 (1992); and Beck, “Physico-chemical characterization of zein as a film coating polymer: A direct comparison with ethyl cellulose,” International J. Pharmaceutics, Vol. 141, 137 (1996); and Sanchez, “Effects of different plasticizers on the mechanical and surface properties of wheat gliadin films,” J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 46, 4539 (1998).
However, due to processing problems and other issues associated with current methods of processing zein, the use of zein in chewing gum, as well as other food-grade and eco-friendly products as well as industrial applications, has been problematic. There is therefore a need for improved processing methods for zein and other prolamines.